Chapter Text
The next morning, Jaeil approaches Sayeon’s desk before class starts.
“Yo, Lee!” He greets her with a bright expression that quickly changes into something close to curiosity. “Why didn’t you message me yesterday? I was watching my phone like a hawk for something, but nothing came, besides the usual scam calls.”
Sayeon chooses to be upfront. “You gave me the wrong number. I was planning to correct that today.” She pulls out the small piece of paper with what was not Jaeil’s phone number and shows it to him.
The delinquent’s eyes scan over his chicken scratch handwriting. “Oh shit, you’re right. My bad, I swapped the six and seven on accident.” He crumples up the useless scrap in his fist and throws it over his shoulder. Someone’s going to have to pick it up later during cleaning duty in the afternoon.
“Here, just give me your phone. I’ll put it in for you.”
She hands over her device to him, which looks small in his palm in comparison to her own, as he types in his contact information. He gives it back to her and drags his thumb across his phone screen until he stops, and Sayeon’s cellphone vibrates in her hand.
[Beginning of your conversation with ‘jaeil🐕’]
Whaddup lee
Her eyes jump between the contact name and the supposed recipient. “Jaeil dog. What?”
Sayeon’s expression is as befuddled as when she first encountered Jaeil when he was stuck on the windowsill while trying to sneak inside the classroom next door at night. She was only there to witness such an event because the teacher let her stay in the school building to do work when a loud “ow, fuck” disrupted her focused silence.
“The dog is supposed to be Bobo,” Jaeil says.
Sayeon receives another message.
[A blurred Bobo staring into the camera lens.img]
“Look. Don’t they look alike?”
“If they do to you, then sure.”
Sayeon spends her time before class reviewing the practice questions from the day before while Jaeil recounts a conversation he had with a girl he’s seeing from another class. It surprises her that he’s already making these advances so early into the term, but it’s also expected of him with the amount of free time Jaeil has from not doing any schoolwork.
It isn’t long until the bell rings, and Jaeil bids her goodbye while he leaves the room to probably go for a smoke instead of heading to his morning class.
—
After the dismissal bell, Sayeon’s teacher asks her to stay after class for a brief talk. She ends up leaving the classroom with an application to run for class president due to her great performance and grades.
Feeling somewhat content with the praise and recommendation, she takes it upon herself to start coming up with ideas for her speech on the way home.
She passes a corner that leads to a small grocery store, and she makes a plan to stop and buy some groceries for tonight’s dinner. She’s sure that no matter what ingredients she brings back, Samin will somehow come up with a meal like she always does. Cooking has become a hobby of her sister’s since their parents…
While bagging a few vegetables, Sayeon is interrupted by a muffled chime in her school bag, and she wonders what Jaeil could possibly be messaging her for so soon. She unzips her bag to check the source of the noise.
[Notification from ‘Not Jaeil’]
Hey
What are you doing
Sayeon purses her lip. Okay, so it wasn’t Jaeil who was contacting her, but the complete stranger from the day before.
Hello. Why are you texting this number?
Do you have amnesia or something we were just talking yesterday
is it illegal for me to say hi
It’s not.
Also you ignored my question
Sayeon looks back through the conversation bubbles because she really did overlook the stranger’s question out of confusion from their sudden message.
I’m buying groceries, why?
No reason. Have you ever felt like you were being a nuisance to anyone?
So we’re skipping small talk.
What are you talking about
This IS small talk
I don’t think asking someone about deep, repressed feelings about themselves is considered small talk.
Okay because I was just projecting
And that is my problem, how?
Have you no empathy
And before you question me more, it’s not me who was being a nuisance
That’s not how you use that word in whatever context you’re implying.
It just baffles me how some people just don’t know how to mind their own damn business
Especially over the smallest shit ever
I’m guessing you’d like for me to ask what happened.
[…]
Sayeon looks down at the plastic bag of asparagus in her hand. She then looks back at her phone in the other. The asparagus is dropped into her shopping basket and Sayeon starts heading to the next aisle expecting a barrage of texts about whatever ‘Not Jaeil’ seems to be struggling with. Sayeon is reading the label of canned fish when she checks her phone again.
Wow how kind of you and sure i'll tell you since you asked
My friend and I were otw to hang out at the park after school when these two guys suddenly approached us asking about another kid from our school who I have not a single fucking clue about
But one of them had a black eye so I guess they were trying to get revenge on them or something
Oh and they were from another school. Could tell from their botched uniforms
But anyway i told them that i had no idea what they were talking about and for them to get lost.
Probably deflated their egos because they started following us for like three minutes until we lured them into an alleyway to confront them
Kept pestering us to tell them where the dude they were looking for was just because we went to the same school as them
I was going to peacefully compromise with them until one of the guys thought it was funny to throw a fucking fist at me out of no where
It was weak and slow btw. Cant have you assuming that I’m a pussy lol
But anyway theyre getting their asses handed to them right now
[…]
Sayeon blinks. What the hell is she reading? Her thumbs hover over her keyboard, going back and forth with the backspace button as she tries to figure out how to reply.
…Right now?
Thats what i just said isn’t it
Why are you texting me if you’re in a fight with them at this moment
Oh that’s just because my friend’s got it handled. I’m not in the mood to deal with punks like them
If you’re really curious, I did have my way with them after throwing a few punches before deciding they weren’t worth my time.
You’re letting your friend fight two guys on their own.
I mean yeah we kinda do this stuff every other day because, like I said, some people don’t know how to mind their own business
So we have to take care of ours
Sayeon is at the checkout when it clicks to her that she’s been talking to a delinquent, and she’s beginning to rethink if this really is Jaeil or not.
I’m sure there are other ways to go about this.
No i know. This is just easier
Yup, Sayeon thinks in her mind while leaving the grocery store with two bags of fresh produce and other ingredients. Definitely a delinquent.
I feel like you’re not only fighting for yourself, but because it’s fun, too.
Well
No
I’m offended you see me that way, Sayeon
The girl grits her teeth as she turns another corner past a convenience store and a narrow alleyway. She completely forgot this person knows her full name.
Pause. I don’t like that. That was unsettling.
What was
You using my name, meanwhile I don’t know yours.
Seriously? That’d be so boring
But if you insist then just call me um
Maybe Heejin
That’s not your actual name.
And you know that how??
I don’t know, maybe because of you saying “maybe?”
You’re too hesitant in saying your name that it looks like you had to make one up in your head.
Ok lmao but at least you have something to call me by
Isn’t really fair…
Ok shut up sore loser
Back to what i was talking about earlier
You probably think im part of some gang or something, and to answer your question, i am not
Though there’s quite a few in my area and school, i don’t bother with that shit because it’s a waste of time
It’s also pitiful if you could see the two guys who were picking a fight with us earlier lol
Wanna see
I’d really rather not, thank you
And I’m sorry for assuming things about you. It’s kind of difficult not to do so when you’re a complete stranger who lies about something as simple as a name.
Mind you it isn’t even that deep
Who knows!! Maybe I’ll give you my real name anytime soon
“That’s not happening,” Sayeon whispers to herself as she follows the route home.
Definitely seeing that happen.
Im not that heartless come on
Now enough about annoying brain dead idiots. Let me hear from someone who actively uses their brain instead
Now who’s the one being interrogated?
So howss your day beenn
Nothing out of the ordinary. Went to class, did my work, studied for a little, and bought groceries.
Oh, I did tell Jaeil about how he gave me the wrong number, so now I have his actual one.
Are you gonna keep your promise and hand those digits over?
I didn’t promise anything. Like I said, I’m not letting him get influenced by you.
You’re basically saying I’m influential. I’m really having an impact on you, aren’t I?
No.
Harsh
Did you at least tell the Jaeil guy about me
For what purpose would Jaeil knowing about your existence be beneficial at all?
Shit i guess i really am that unimportant to you huh
And I thought we were just beginning to form the buds of a friendship
???
Whatever that means
Heartless ass
If you really do want to know about my day, I’m going to be drafting my speech to run for class president tonight.
Honestly what else could I have expected from a nerd like you
But congrats on being smart i guess
Thank you.
That also means this’ll be the last time you can talk to me today since I can’t be distracted from my writing. I was already put behind enough the first time we talked.
Bro you literally said that you work ahead you’re not behind on anything
Right now, I’m running a bit late for dinner.
I think that’s enough “small talk” for now
Whatever you say ig
It is pretty late. I should get going too
You mentioning dinner makes me want food now
Goodbye.
Also, it’s about time you leave those guys alone in the dirt. You’ve already done them in enough if your friend is as capable as you make him out to be.
Debts owed, debts paid. I was just giving them a taste of their own medicine
They were lucky I was just being nice today
…Right. Of course.
Okay bye for real now, go write that paper or something
[Sayeon Lee reacted with ‘Thumbs Up’]
[Seen]
Dropping her phone into her open school bag, she realizes that she forgot to zip it up since being at the store. Sayeon pushes her mistake to the side and takes out her keys, making sure to close the bag right after. She steps onto the welcome mat and unlocks the door. The background noise of the television and the scent of fresh ginger permeate the room.
“I’m home,” Sayeon announces, putting down all the bags she was carrying to take off her shoes and put on her indoor slippers.
Hurried footsteps can be heard down the corridor, and a head of dark blue hair identical to Sayeon’s pops up from the corner.
“Sayeon! You’re late! I was about to just microwave our meal for tonight, but someone as hard-working as you needs something more nutritious than instant noodles.” The older Lee moves to help bring the bags into the kitchen.
“Sorry, Samin. I remembered we were short on food, so I stopped by the store right after school.” Sayeon explains, following Samin into the kitchen to hang her keys by the fridge.
Samin hums in response while taking the groceries out of the bags and organizing them. “Right after school? Why did it take you so long? It’s late, and you’re usually much faster with the outdoor chores than I am.”
“Er, I was just distracted, that’s all.”
“What’s been bothering my little sister lately?” Samin’s tone drops to become noticeably darker. “Tell me, do I need to go and–”
“Samin, no! Stop.” Sayeon sighs and fixes her glasses. “It’s…I was just thinking about what to write for my speech tonight.”
Samin gasps. “A speech? Already? I mean, what else can I expect from someone as brilliant as you? Remember when you shook hands with the principal in middle school for getting first place in–”
“I’m going upstairs to work on that now, actually,” Sayeon says. She swiftly goes upstairs and locks herself in her bedroom.
“Wait, what about dinner?” Samin yells, but she gets no response.
—
Down a narrow alleyway, the light of a cigarette and the grunts of a trivial struggle bounce off of the brick walls. The taller boy of the skirmish pants as he fixes his glasses to look down at two helpless delinquents who picked a fight they couldn’t finish.
“Seriously, all because of a damn uniform.” The boy crouches down to the unconscious students to search their pockets, detailed with a crow, which he assumes is their school’s mascot, for any valuables as a token for his victory.
Finding only a pitiful amount of change, he decides not to even bother taking the money. He looks over his shoulder where a shorter, purple-haired girl with a myriad of bandages on her face and legs is occupied with the cracked phone in her hand.
“You could’ve at least given me a hand with these guys, Ryujin,” he drolls, getting up from his lowered position. He brushes off any dirt or grime on his uniform from the fight and takes off his glasses to wipe them on his sleeve.
Ryujin pulls off an earbud. “Why? You clearly had it handled, Jungwoo. Hah, just look at them!”
A painful groan emits from one of the delinquents.
Jungwoo side eyes him before turning back to Ryujin, who resumed whatever she was doing on her phone during the whole ordeal.
“You’ve been way more glued to your phone recently. What gives?” He asks. Even Yesol has been bugging him about it, but he doesn’t mention that out loud.
This seems to get a small rise out of Ryujin, because she hastily turns off her phone to stuff it in the pocket of her frayed skirt.
“T-that’s none of your business, man. I’m going to the convenience store. I’m hungry after all that fighting.” Ryujin excuses herself.
She drops her used cigarette to the concrete floor as well, and she steps on it to dig it into the ground after pushing herself off the wall to walk toward the open street.
Jungwoo stares at her shrinking form after pushing his glasses back onto his nose. “You barely did anything, though…” he mumbles to himself before reluctantly following behind. He could use a snack right about now, too.